Dear Diary: Episode 14: You are not always right.

Once upon a time, a King sought to understand wisdom in simple terms, so he asked that blind men be sent to bring him a clear description of an Elephant.

So the elders conveyed and sent 6 of their wisest blind men to do the task.

The first approached the elephant, fell against its broad sturdy side and declared….

“Heaven is my witness, the Elephant is very much like a wall!”

The second, feeling the tusk cried…

“Why? This very round and smooth and sharp shape? I confirm that the Elephant is very much like a spear!”

The third approached the animal calmly from the front, and happening to take the squirming trunk within his hands spoke up with much boldness…

“Rest your case gentlemen, the Elephant is very much like a Snake!”

The fourth reached out eagerly and felt about the elephant’s knee and shook his head solemnly….

“I am amazed that you all couldn’t simply tell it, isn’t it clear enough? This wondrous beast is very like a tree!”

The fifth, walked gingerly to the animal and was chanced to touch the ear and declared with peppered confidence…..

“Even the blindest man can tell what this resembles most…..

Who can deny the fact that this marvel of an Elephant is very much like a fan!”

The sixth no sooner had he began to grope around the beast, slipped and just about to fall, grabbed the animal by the swinging tail that fell within his scope…..

“I see, he quoted with finality……. The Elephant is very much like a rope!”

The men were then sent back to the king to give their reports.

And so the blind men, each with such solid conviction disputed loud and long before the King. Each man in his own opinion and exceedingly stiff in his assurance declared their view of what was partly right and entirely wrong.

Silently, the King listened to the heated arguments and concluded therefore that not one of them had a comprehensive knowledge of the topic. He therefore concluded wisely never to base his judgment entirely on one Man’s view but rather to collect and absorb from fellow men their thoughts and intuitions and use it to accomplish his mission.

Hmmn!

Does it not amaze You Lord, that man in our limited sense and knowledge is so vehement and opinionated in our ignorance about You?

How do You feel when we argue so much about You in our limited knowledge of Who You Are?

How do You feel when we fight and kill ourselves over matters concerning You knowing that each one of us only has a partial view of You?

Hmmn!

Lord, please, help me to be more tolerant of others. To accept my limitations and accept other people’s right to a point of view.

Yes, we do know in parts. No one …..Nada…..has the total picture but You.